HP Scanjet 3500c

Occupying an acceptably compact footprint on your desk, HP's latest low-cost A4 scanner is as simple to use as it looks.

Inside its flat, curvy case, the Scanjet 3500c is a surprisingly high-quality piece of kit, supplied with some very productive software.

Unlike most low-cost products, the Scanjet features a 48bit CCD scanhead (rather than a cheap CIS alternative), capturing at an optical resolution of 1,200 dots per inch.

More importantly, our test results lived up to the specifications, producing the kind of document and image scan quality we'd expect from more expensive models.

However, HP has focused on simplicity for the design and user interface. Three quick-task buttons are all you get - email, scan and copy - and the drivers try to keep as many of the on-screen scan controls hidden out of the way until you absolutely need them.

The software bundle is valuable and versatile, covering a good range of tasks for handling photos, along with an optical character recognition (OCR) package for text documents.

This means building online galleries, CD-based slideshows and so on rarely requires more than a couple of clicks.

On the other hand, many important automated in-scan functions found in other entry-level scanners are missing here. There's no automatic straightening of angled originals, for example, while colour enhancement features are minimalist and arguably ineffective.

We were also concerned about the time it takes for the drivers to kick into gear, although the actual scanning process itself is fast.

The Scanjet 3500c is a good purchase for home users who just want to plug in and go.

The lack of more extensive controls or any fax software integration limits its usefulness in the workplace, so businesses should look for other more appropriate models in the Scanjet range.

DETAILS
Price: £79 (£67.23 ex VAT)

Contact: HP 08705 474 747
www.hp.co.uk

SPECS

• Flatbed CCD
• 1,200 x 1,200dpi max resolution
• 48bit depth
• HP Photo & Imaging Software, ReadIris Pro 7.5, Hemera Jigsaw Puzzler, Hemera CD Designs Editor
• 500 x 300 x 67mm (w x d x h)
• 2.7kg - USB2 interface (USB 1.x compatible)